


In Our Family

by BabyBoomBoom0029



Series: On Your Side: The Chronicles of Danny and Linda Reagan [8]
Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-17 22:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 21,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10603665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyBoomBoom0029/pseuds/BabyBoomBoom0029
Summary: Linda Reagan always knew she was loved by her husband's family. She'd been welcomed with open arms. But when all Hell breaks lose can Linda do the impossible to save a life? Even if it will threaten her own?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo HI!!!! LOL You guys had to know I wasn't waiting long before starting a new story. This idea comes from Patricia. THANKS!! So enjoy the story and I hope it's a good one!

"Sean! You're going to be late!" Linda yelled down the stairs for the fifteenth time that morning. Once they'd gotten settled into their own house again, they'd all gotten back into their routine. Except Sean, who had gotten used to sleeping late and being driven to school by his Grandfather. Linda packed lunches for the kids, poured Danny's coffee in his travel cup and found Grace's missing shoe, all before Sean appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Ready. I'm good." He smiled, "After school, I'm going to Michelle's to study for the final." Sean said, "Dad said it was okay." He ran out the door with a bagel in his mouth and the wave of a hand.

Linda shook her head, "He's got plans after school with that girl again?" Linda asked as Danny walked down the stairs.

"Yeah. They are supposed to be studying but last time he came back from her house he was smiling ear to ear." Danny kissed his wife good morning.

"Please tell me you've talked to him." Linda sighed not really wanting to know what her son was doing with a girl after school but knowing neither she nor Danny were the most innocent teens when they were growing up.

Danny laughed, "Plenty of times. It's fine." Danny took his coffee from Linda, "Thank you." He kissed her again.

"If you kiss me again, I just might have breakfast for you too." She grinned against his lips.

"What if I kiss you after that?" He teased.

"Then it's just extra kisses." She giggled as he kissed her slowly, "I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck keeping him close while Grace, Sam and Faith played in the living room.

"I missed you last night." Danny said. He had come home in the middle of the night to find Linda sound asleep in the rocking chair in Sam's room. By the time he'd showered and changed she was back in their bed but completely asleep. Danny curled up next to her and was out the second his head hit the pillow. He missed the small window of time they had together each night.

"Come home early enough and you won't have to miss me tonight. In fact, if you come home early enough we can get the kids to bed and do that thing you wanted to do the other day but Grace woke up and thought she saw a monster." Linda grinned.

"Oh that  _thing_?" Danny asked for clarification.

"Yeah." Linda nodded her head. She pecked Danny's lips before handing him an egg sandwich she'd made for him.

"I will do my very best to be home early." He gratefully took the sandwich, "Have a good day at work. I love you."

"Be careful. I love you. Come home to me." She kissed him again. Linda sighed happily as she watched him kiss the tops of each little one's heads before walking out the door. Things had been so much better now that they were working as a team. They'd been getting better with each passing day. Linda had no idea her happy bubble would burst so quickly.

* * *

That day at work Linda was ready to be done by noon. So far they'd had two irate parents in the office swearing at each other over the same kid. One was the step-mom who lived with the child and the other was the biological mother who had visitation rights. The step-mom felt that her and the father should be the only ones allowed to take the child to the doctor since they'd had him since the biological mom couldn't' care for him while the biological mother wanted the step-mom out of the picture completely. It was such a mess officers and child services needed to be called to take everyone out of the office and sort it out at a precinct. Linda felt bad for the little boy who just needed a physical for a school sports program.

Linda was surprised to get a phone call from Danny that afternoon. It usually was the other way around. Linda calling him during a tour just to check in.

"Hey babe." She smiled as she sat down at her desk.

"I got a sitter for the kids. Want to meet me at O'Malley's at seven?" He asked with a smile.

"Really?" Linda grinned. It had been almost five weeks since her and Danny had been able to go out together with no kids. They had a date night planned but Jack spun his car out in a rain storm. He wasn't hurt but the car was pretty banged up. Then they almost made it out the door when Grace shoved a Barbie shoe up her nose trying to do a magic trick her big brother taught her. Linda was desperate for some alone time with her husband.

"Yup. No kids, you and me. A few drinks, some dinner." Danny smiled, "What do you say?"

"I knew there was a reason I love you." She smirked.

"Because I'm taking you out?" Danny laughed.

"That and you keep me sane." Linda said, "I will be there."

"Good. Love you." Danny said happily.

"Love you." Linda ended the call with a smile on her face. This was just what she needed to get through the rest of her crappy day.

* * *

When Linda walked into the pub she didn't see Danny. He'd said he was on his way but she thought he'd be there by now. Linda sat at the bar and ordered a drink for herself and a beer for him. She pulled her phone out to send him a quick text. His reply came instantly. He was only five minutes away. Linda tipped the bar tender when he handed Linda the two drinks. She turned in her stool looking towards the door waiting for her husband to appear when a man sat beside her blocking her view.

"What is a pretty woman like you doing here all alone?" The man asked.

"Waiting on my husband." Linda rolled her eyes at his attempt to flirt.

The man smiled, "Not a good husband if he makes you wait on him. Shouldn't he wait on you?"

"Shouldn't you find someone else to bother?" Linda asked not wanting to be annoyed by a stranger.

"Had he told you how beautiful you look tonight? I don't think this guy really deserves someone like you." Linda recoiled when the man went to touch her hair.

She felt someone side their arm around her shoulders, "Yes, she is beautiful. No, I don't deserve her. And if you try to touch her again I'll break your fingers." Danny said protectively.

Linda had to stifle a laugh when the man took one look at Danny and nodded his head before slinking back to his corner of the bar. Danny took the man's seat in front of his wife, "Making new friends?" He kissed her sweetly.

Linda laughed, "Isn't it frowned upon to threaten people, Detective?" She teased.

"I'm not working. I'm just a protective husband right now." Danny grinned, "Besides, I know of at least three other cops that would do the same thing to that guy."

"Let me guess, they all share the same name?" Linda passed Danny his beer.

"We all love you." Danny kissed her again. The two laughed, talked, and flirted like they hadn't done in a long time. Danny even went as far as to play a round of darts with her. Loser  _had_ to kiss the winner, winner  _got_ to kiss the loser. It was a win-win. They were sitting close together talking about their anniversary when Danny's phone rang.

"Reagan." He answered not recognizing the number. Linda watched as Danny lost his breath, "Is he okay? What hospital? When? I'll be right there." Danny ended the call. He tossed money on the bar to pay their tab, "We have to go. Dad's in the ER. Pop called nine-one-one." Danny took Linda's hand, running out of the pub to his car. He'd drive the sedan to O'Malley's. He was able to throw the lights and sirens on to get them to the hospital quickly. Linda put her hand on his leg praying that Frank was okay. Danny couldn't lose both parents and his brother. The family couldn't lose Frank. They needed him to hold them together. Sam and Faith were still so small. They needed to know their Grandfather. Henry couldn't lose his son. It wouldn't be fair to anyone. Linda prayed that her father-in-law would be alright. He had to be.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Linda sat beside Danny holding his hand tightly. They were sitting in the waiting room while Henry talked to the doctor. They'd been waiting for hours. Jamie and Erin quickly joined them, followed by Nicky and Jack who got word while at school.

When Danny and Linda first walked into the ER, Henry was pacing back and forth. He told them how Frank was walking up the stairs and collapsed with his hand over his chest. Henry feared a heart attack but it was quickly ruled out when EMT's got there. Jamie sat with his arm around Erin's shoulders as she tried not to cry. Jack sat next to his cousin trying to comfort her. Every Reagan in the room only had one thought on their mind. 'Please don't take Frank.'

Henry walked back towards his grandchildren, "He's out of surgery." Henry said, "Danny, I need you and Beaz to find out everything you can about who had access to Francis today.To his food, to anything, he could have come into contact with. Jamie, start tracing his footsteps throughout the day."

"Pop, what's going on?" Danny asked.

"He was poisoned. Somehow someone got to him. Garrett, Sid, we'll need his schedule and we need to know anyone who had a grudge against him lately. The poison is what made him collapse. He's still unconscious so he can't help us figure out what happened. They were able to get him an antidote to neutralize the poison but not before it damaged his kidneys. He's in kidney failure. They put him on a transplant list but with his blood type they don't know how long it will take for a donor." Henry frowned.

"What can we do?" Erin asked, "How can we help?"

"We need to get tested and see if one of us can give him a kidney." Henry said, "That's the quickest thing to do."

Linda nodded her head, "We'll all get tested." She brought the back of Danny's hand to her lips kissing it softly, "With the transplant, he'll be okay right?" Linda asked Henry.

Henry sighed, "Yeah. But he needs that transplant. I'm the same blood type but they won't let me donate."

"How do we get tested?" Jamie asked.

"I'll see what I can find out." Linda said letting everyone take a moment alone. She came back a few minutes later with forms for everyone to fill out, "They said they can get testing done now. We just need to fill these out and get some blood taken." She said passing out a paper to Erin, Jamie, and Danny. Linda sat next to Danny and started filling her own out.

"You too?" Danny asked not expecting Linda to be willing to give up a kidney for his father.

"Of course." Linda kissed Danny's cheek, "It's Frank. He's an important member of the family. He's just as much family to me as anyone else." She said.

Danny kissed the top of his wife's head never more thankful for her standing beside him than right now, "Thank you." He wasn't even sure if any of them would be a match but the fact that Linda didn't think twice about filling out the paperwork made him realize just how much she loved Frank too.

* * *

 

Once forms were filled out and blood was drawn they were able to see Frank for a few moments. Linda sat beside him on one side with Erin on the other. Jamie stood next to Erin and Henry while Danny sat on the arm of Linda's chair.

Everyone sat quietly lost in their own thoughts while they sat with Frank. Linda flipped through Frank's medical chart she'd snagged on her way in.

"Find anything in that?" Danny asked her softly.

"Yeah. We're all going to stop having red meat at family dinners on Sunday." Linda said, "Between Pop's heart and Frank's cholesterol levels we don't need to keep the cycle going through you and Jamie too."

"My heart is fine." Danny replied.

"For now." Linda told him.

"Anything else in there? How's he other than cholesterol?" Erin asked.

"Fine. I don't see anything else in here that would be concerning." Linda said to her. She slid the chart back to the end of the bed when the doctor came in to talk to them.

"We have your test results back." The doctor approached the Reagan family.

"Who's a match?" Danny asked.

"I'm sorry but the only one able to donate would be Linda and with the prior gunshot wounds undergoing surgery would be too dangerous and risky. We can't recommend it." The doctor said, "But we have the commissioner on a wait list and he's near the top of the list." The doctor told them.

"So I can't donate even if I request to?" Linda asked.

"It wouldn't be recommended. It's possible, yes. But it's dangerous and risky." The doctor told her.

"I don't care. I'll do it." Linda shook her head.

"No. You can't." Danny told her.

"Linda. You can't risk your life for Francis." Henry said.

"He'd be so mad if something happened to you." Jamie piped up.

"Linda, we can't ask you to do that." Erin told her.

"No one is asking. I'm volunteering. Look, I know that he's not my father but he's my kid's grandfather and Frank has always been there for me. Since Danny and I started dating. I'm not going to sit off to the side because it could be risky." Linda argued, "I want to do this. I am doing this."

"Linda." Danny started to say.

"No, Danny. You go out every day and risk your life for the general public. Which I accept and I understand. But let me do this. This isn't just for anyone. It's for Frank." Linda squeezed his hand, "I'll be fine. It's laparoscopic surgery. I'll be out of work for a few weeks as long as everything goes okay. It's alright." Linda said, "When can we do it?" She asked the doctor.

"We'll need to get you prepped for surgery and get consent forms signed but we should be able to do it first thing in the morning. We'll get the paperwork started." The doctor nodded his head.

"Okay. Thank you." Linda looked up at her husband, "I'll be alright."

The doctor quickly returned with the donation forms for Linda to fill out, "We just need to do another blood test and we can get you admitted." They told Linda.

"Are you sure about this?" Henry asked. He didn't want his granddaughter to do something so risky.

"I'm sure." Linda stood from her chair. She squeezed Frank's hand, "Everything is going to be fine."

"I'm gonna go with her." Danny said to the room full of people. Danny kept his hand on the small of Linda's back as they followed the doctor out. Danny wished there was another solution. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to Linda. He was on edge enough with his father in a hospital bed. Now his wife was volunteering to be in one. Danny wished he could take both of their places. That he was the one hurt. That he was the one preparing to undergo surgery. He stood by his wife supporting her decision to do the only thing that could help his father. He hated that it could hurt her. He prayed everything would be okay. Danny only knew one thing for sure. That whoever had done this to Frank Reagan didn't know who they were messing with. The NYPD was already rallying behind the Reagan's searching for the lowlife that thought it was smart to go after the commissioner.


	3. Chapter 3

To keep his mind from running wild while Linda and Frank were in surgery Danny focused on the case. If someone was out to poison his father then they could be after the whole Reagan family. If the past taught any lessons it was to never assume anyone was safe until you were sure of it.

Beaz handed him a cup of coffee, "How much longer are they supposed to be out?" 

"The doctor should be back by now. I checked in earlier and they said things were going slow. But they were okay." Danny looked at the files in front of him. Garrett, Sid, and Baker pulled the file of every person that saw Frank over the last forty-eight hours. They gathered information on every person he saw, every step he made, every bite of food he ate. Everything he did over the last few days. Jamie and Eddie were talking to the owners of the restaurants he ate at. The stores he stopped by. Anyone who would be able to give a clue as to how he was so badly poisoned.

For two more hours, Danny and Beaz poured over the case with the help of Henry who was worried about his son and granddaughter. He so much as forbid Linda to risk her life for Frank's but when he realized that Danny had caved after talking to her, he let her go through with it. Henry looked up as the doctor walked in.

"Everyone is okay. Frank is in and out of it, but asking for you." He said to Henry, "And Linda's still out. There was a slight complication with some excessive bleeding. When they took the kidney, a blood vessel ruptured causing her to start bleeding internally." The doctor said to Danny. Danny held his breath while praying, "The shock to her system made her heart beat erratically. So we shocked her to get it back to a normal rhythm and stopped the bleeding. She should be just fine." 

"Like a heart attack?" Danny asked wanting to make sure he understood what they were saying.

"More like when your heart beats fast if you're panicking. Only her heart wouldn't stop or slow. It just kept getting faster." He tried to explain, "But she's okay now. Normal rhythm, breathing on her own, everything seems fine. We'll wait and see how she is when she wakes up."

Danny nodded his head, "Can I see her?" He asked anxious to check on her, himself.

"Yes. You both can follow me to each of their rooms." The doctor motioned for Henry and Danny to follow behind him.

"You go see your wife. I'll keep digging." Beaz said. 

"Thanks." Danny replied before walking behind the doctor. When he got to Linda's room he hated the sight before him. Too often she laid in a hospital bed. Too often she was hurt. Linda lay asleep hooked up o a few machines keeping track of her vitals and administering medicine. Danny walked to her side, "Hey babe." He kissed her forehead, "You saved him. You did it. Thank you. Now we just need you to wake up and be okay. This whole thing about bleeding out on the table wasn't a good thing. We used up our one hospital visit a year rule so wake up so we can go home. So I know you and the kids are safe while I find the bastard that tried to kill my dad." Danny kissed his wife's lips softly, "So just wake up for me and let me see your beautiful eyes." Danny sat beside her bed holding her hand. He'd just started to fall asleep when her eyes fluttered open.

"Danny?" Linda yawned.

"Hey you." Danny grinned. He kissed Linda sweetly, "How do you feel?" He asked.

"Tired, sore. But okay." She squeezed his hand.

"You sure?" Danny hit the call button beside her bed as he'd been told to do when she woke up.

"I'm sure. How's Frank?" Linda didn't want to focus on herself. She was more concerned with her father-in-law.

"He's alright. He's sleeping but was awake for a while. I told him what you did. He was mad. Said you didn't have to do that and that you should never, ever risk your life for his again. Then said he was thankful to have a daughter-in-law like you." Henry smiled from his spot in the doorway, "It's good to see you awake."

"Thanks, Pop." Linda smiled.

"Thank you." Henry said, "You know, you've now saved two Reagans." He took a seat on the other side of Linda.

"Three." Danny corrected him.

"Three?" Henry questioned.

"Remember that winter I totaled my old car?" Danny tried to jog his memory, "Linda was in the passenger seat. She's the one that did CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over."

"That's right. That was just after you two got engaged wasn't it?" Henry asked.

Linda nodded, "We had gone out to the city for the weekend together." Linda said, "I remember the truck in front of us spun out and when Danny tried to avoid hitting the truck we spun and the whole car rolled." 

"I came to in the ambulance and then the next thing I remember is being in the hospital with Dad sitting in a chair next to me. And I asked about Linda and was told that Mom was with her." Danny recalled.

Linda smiled, "I needed someone there. Your mom was always by my side. Even when we were just dating." 

"She loved you." Danny said.

"We all love you." Henry smiled.

Danny kissed his wife's forehead, "I love you." He whispered softly to her.

"I love you too." Linda replied to Danny, "I love all of you." Linda yawned.

"You get some rest. I'll go check in on Francis." Henry kissed Linda's cheek, "Thank you for keeping yet another Reagan man alive."

Linda nodded her head, "I do love my Reagan men." She grinned.

Danny held Linda's hand, "You sould rest. They said that you only have to be here for a few days then you can go home." Danny smiled.

"I can't wait to get out of the hospital. I hate being in the hospital." Linda confessed.

"I hate seeing you here. Although I am proud of you for doing this." Danny said, "I'm so thankful for you."

Linda tugged Danny closer, "You wouldn't think about doing it for him. YOu didn't think twice about it. So why would I?" She asked.

Danny shrugged his shoulders, "I just want you to be okay."

"I'm alright. Promise." LInda yawned again, "Just really tired." Linda said.

"Then sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Danny kissed her cheek.

"No. You go catch this guy that hurt Frank. Send Erin or Nicky or even Jack to come take me home in the morning. I'm fine. I promise. YOu need to work. You need to find this guy." Linda urged her husband t keep searching for the man who tried to kill the commisioner.

"Linda." Danny tried to argue.

"It's okay. I promise." Linda smiled.

"You sleep and I'll at least wait until Erin gets here." Danny sat next to his wife cuddling close, "I love you Linda." Danny ran his fingers through her hair.

"I love you too." She put her head on his chest closing her eyes. She hoped Danny would figure the case out. That he'd be able catch the monster that poisened Frank before he got to anyone else.


	4. Chapter 4

"Linda, don't over do it. If you need Erin to stay I'm sure she can." Danny paced back and forth on his phone. Linda was discharged that morning with Erin taking her home. Jack and Sean were home to help take care of the little ones.

"Danny, Erin has to work too. I'm fine. Jack took the day off school so he's here and Sean is home too. They've got Grace, Faith, and Sam. I'm just going to sit on the couch and supervise so everyone lives through the day." Linda lightly joked, "It's okay. I'll nap when the twins nap."

"The doctor said you needed to be careful." Danny worried she'd try to do too much and get hurt.

"I am being careful. I'm not cooking or standing or even really playing. I promise. I'm just sitting on the couch snuggling." She smiled, "Go to work. Find this guy and come home."

"Alright. But if you need a break then you take one." Danny told her.

"I will. I promise." Linda grinned knowing he was being overprotective but also knowing that would never change.

"I love you." Danny said softly.

"Love you more." Linda replied.

"Love you the most." Danny waited for Linda to end the call before putting his phone into his pocket, "What do we got?" Danny asked Beaz. He walked over to his desk and sat down.

"Nothing. Nothing slips by his detail." Beaz sighed, "The only thing I can think of is that he was slipped the poison when he went out somehow. Maybe airborne?" 

Danny shook his head, "No. They said that it was in his blood. He had to have ingested it. They didn't find any injection marks."

"So it was something he ate. Why don't we just check out every place he ate and go from there?" Beaz double checked the file.

"We already checked all the restaurants out." Danny said, "Got nothing."

"How does he ingest something without knowing?" Beaz asked, "Food cart? Water?" Beaz thought out loud.

"Water. Wait a minute. Baker said there was a new guy that came and filled the water cooler last week. But he passed through security with no problem." Danny flipped through some pages, "Right here. And according to Baker, this is the one closest to his office."

"If it was in a water cooler wouldn't everyone get sick?" Beaz asked.

"Maybe. Let's check it out." Danny grabbed his gun and the folder off his desk.

Beaz followed her partner out of the 54th precinct headed for one PP.

"How's he doing?" Beaz asked in the car.

"He's okay. Pissed that they won't release him from the hospital until early next week." Danny smiled, "But Pop's keeping him company during the day."

"And Linda?" Beaz wondered.

"Home. With the kids. She's alright. A little sore and she's out of work for a few weeks until she heals up more. With the internal bleeding she had, they want to be extra careful." Danny sped towards one PP to check the water supply.

"You sure that's the doctors telling her to be careful or you?" Beaz teased.

"Both." Danny smirked, "I think she thinks she can do more than she was told she can." Danny sighed, "You know, I'm so sick of these guys thinking to come after my family is a good idea. You know Linda and I went out last week, the night all this happened actually, and some guy had the nerve to keep hitting on her even after she said no, turned him down, told hm she was married, and with me standing there he still tried to pick her up. What gives?" Danny grumbled.

Beaz laughed, "Guys don't get the message unless they are literally hit with it."

Danny shook his head, "I just don't understand what's the motive for guys like that. Why would they think my family is the one to mess with?" Danny parked the sedan and got out of the car, "You got a name for this delivery guy?"

"Chaz McAllister." Beaz read from the file, "But there's nothing on him. It's as if he didn't exist until five years ago when he started working for the water company."

"I'd say that's a red flag." Danny frowned. He held the elevator door for his partner, "Who cleared him?"

"Front desk Sargent." Beaz replied, "Said he had a valid ID."

"Great." Danny stepped out of the elevator headed straight for Baker's desk, "Can we ask you a few questions?" He asked her.

Baker nodded her head, "Of course."

"Who normally delivers the water for the cooler?" Danny asked.

"The same guy. But this one was new. Front desk cleared him so I didn't think anything of it." She said, "Why? Is something in the water?" She started to worry, "It's still there. We haven't touched it."

"We're going to send a team over here to test it and check it. Tell me more about this guy that delivered it." Danny asked.

"Clean cut, he had valid ID. He didn't talk much but he was only here for a few minutes then he was out. We can probably grab his picture from the security footage." Baker suggested, "I'll call for it." She picked up her phone calling for the video feed to be sent to her. Five minutes later they were all gathered around her computer.

"Look! He didn't slip it into the cooler. It's in Dad's drink." Danny paused the feed when he saw the man pour a clear liquid into the coffee mug Frank had set down for a moment, "Can you print that?" 

Baker nodded printing the photo still, "Here. I'll send the photo out to all precincts." She started drafting an email with the attachment.

"Let's run this through and see what we can find." Beaz said, "Probably a fake name but his photo should pop somewhere." CSU arrived a few minutes later to test the water and dust for any prints. Trying to find anything that would help find Chaz. Danny looked at the photo again. He felt like he'd seen this man before. He wondered if he was a prior conviction of his or even of his fathers. Danny's stomach tied in knots. He just  _knew_ this wasn't as cut and dry as it seemed. Something else was going on. He just had to find the pieces to the puzzle first.


	5. Chapter 5

Linda Reagan had thought she was out of the woods when she was home, surrounded by her children. Little did she know she was about to be thrown into the middle of her own little horror story.

The day had passed slowly for Linda and the kids. Jack and Sean played with their younger siblings, taking care of them for their mom, helping out. Even cooking dinner for the whole family. It was a simple pasta meal but it fed everyone and Linda had to say she was impressed with Jack's cooking skills. Faith, Sam, and Grace had long since gone to bed when Linda started to get herself ready for bed. Jack and Sean were in the basement fighting over who was going to win the next round of the video game they were playing. Linda walked half-way up the stairs when the doorbell rang. Linda groaned hoping it wouldn't wake the little ones up. She peeked out the window to see two uniformed officers standing out front. Linda checked her phone in her pocket. No missed texts or calls. That meant Danny could be hurt but it wasn't serious or she'd have been called before anyone showed up at the door.

"Hi. Can I help you?" Linda opened the door just enough to talk to the officers. She didn't recognize them but they  _did_ have a patrol car out front.

"Linda Reagan?" One of the officers asked.

"Yes. What can I help you with?" She texted Danny with one hand behind the door feeling slightly uneasy about these two officers standing on her front step.

"May we come in?" The same officer asked. It was almost like the other one was keeping an eye out. But for what Linda didn't know.

"Why don't you tell me what you are here for?" She countered the question.

"Ma'am. We need to speak with you. It's about your husband." The officer puffed out his chest as he spoke.

"Is he hurt?" Linda asked sending her text to her husband.

"We really should talk inside." The officer tried to push the door only to realize Linda was holding it with her foot.

"I'm not really in the habit of letting strange men into my home so you'll tell me what you want or I'm shutting the door and calling my husband." Linda didn't back down when he pushed at the door again.

"You'll let us in or we'll slaughter your children." The first officer pointed his gun at Linda. She tried to slam the door shut but he was too fast. Linda was thrown backward when he forced his way through the door. Her cell phone sliding across the hardwood floor.

"Get out of my house!" Linda yelled, "My husband is on his way! Get out now!" 

The man towered over Linda, "I think I'll stay. I haven't seen Danny for a long time. We have some catching up to do." He dragged Linda to one of the dining room chairs while she kicked and fought against him. He handcuffed her behind her back and zip-tied her feet together, "Now if you be quiet the children won't hear us. But if you are loud, I'll shot them one by one." The second he threatened the kids Linda quieted down. She wanted to yell, to run, to fight, to scream but she couldn't risk her children's lives, "Good." The officer smiled wide.

Linda watched as the other one locked the front door. He hadn't said a word but he looked like he was only there for the muscle. Linda took a deep breath, refusing to show fear to these men. She waited to hear sirens, cars, anything outside to indicate help was here. But until then she just had to make it through. She hoped Danny got her texts. That he had his phone with him. That he was able to read the messages as they were sent.

* * *

Danny was sitting at his desk waiting to see if facial recognition would pop on Chaz. He was sure the name was an alias and he still couldn't place the man in his mind. He knew he'd seen Chaz before but he couldn't figure out where. While facial recognition ran in the background Danny looked through old cases of his fathers to see if this was someone he'd collared or family of a criminal that had it out for the PC. The list of people that had it out for the police commissioner was miles long but the list for Frank Reagan was a lot shorter. Danny and Beaz focused on the short list to start.

"Someone somewhere must have seen this guy. He didn't just show up on camera then slink off." Beaz sighed. This whole day was one dead end after another. She knew if it was frustrating to her, it had to be infuriating to Danny.

"I know I've seen that guy." Danny shook his head, "I just have to remember where." He frowned as another batch of people ran through the computer with no hit.

"What about cases where you, Frank, and Erin all worked together? Like a family thing? There are plenty of people that get all sides of the Reagan family coming down on them." Beaz asked.

"We could start with that list." Danny typed in the search parameters. While waiting for the computer he noticed his phone vibrate. Danny picked it up to read the text Linda sent him, "Beaz, you know anything about officers at my house?" He asked his partner.

Beaz shook her head, "Want me to check with dispatch?"

"Yeah." Danny nodded his head. He started to text Linda back when he gasped, "We gotta go!" He grabbed his gun from his drawer.

"What happened?!" Beaz asked getting her jacket.

"Somethings wrong!" Danny and Beaz ran to the sedan. While Danny tried to call Linda, Beaz called dispatch telling them there was an emergency at Detective Reagan's home where his wife and children were. 

"What did she text you? How are you sure something's wrong?" Beaz asked while Danny sped through the night.

"She sent me 10-13. Since day one that's been the one thing I told her that would get everyone to her ASAP. She sends me that and I know something is seriously wrong. She knows that code. She knows what that means. She wouldn't send it if she didn't mean it." Danny shook his head praying his family was safe. 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Linda watched the two men as they sat in front of her.

"I'm going to tell you a story." The first man said, "Like the Reagans, I too come from a family where my Grandfather, my father, myself, my brothers and even my sisters all work in the same business. Unlike the Reagans, we try to keep our business to ourselves so as not to attract attention. However, when one of us gets hurt we all will do anything we have to, to make sure that our loved one is safe. Do you understand that Mrs. Reagan?" He asked, "Now you might be asking yourself, why would two cops, Frank Reagan's cops turn on him. Well, the truth is, we're really not the police. And that's a stolen car. But I figured a detective's wife wasn't going to open the door to just anyone. So the NYPD took a few sacrifices tonight. For the greater good of course." He smiled, "We're not going to harm you as long as you get us what we want. And what we want is your husband. We just want to talk to him. So you're going to call him, tell him to come home. Make sure he knows that if we see lights and sirens we'll kill everyone in the house before he steps foot on the grass outside." The man handed Linda her fallen cell phone. He swiped it to the left so she could use the emergency feature and call Danny with the push of a button. He put the phone on speaker.

"Linda!" Danny's panicked voice came over the phone.

"Hello, Detective." The man grinned.

"Where's my wife you son of a bitch!" Danny yelled.

"Now now. Language Detective. Linda is right here. Unharmed. Isn't that correct Mrs. Reagan?" He asked her.

"Danny I'm okay." Linda tried to hide the fear in her voice but she knew Danny would be able to hear it.

"Detective, your wife has a few things to say to you." The man moved the phone closer to Linda.

"Danny, you need to come home. He said if he sees any real cops or lights or sirens or anything he's going to kill the kids and I. He said he wants to talk to you." Linda repeated what she'd been told to say.

"Did you catch that Detective? I've already murdered twice tonight. I have no problems taking out children and a defenseless woman as well." He sneered.

"Linda I'm on my way." Danny didn't react to the man's words.

"Good. We'll see you soon Detective." He ended the phone call abruptly, "Now, we wait."

Linda kept looking towards the basement door hoping neither Jack or Sean would wake up and come upstairs for anything. She didn't want them to see this. She didn't even want them to know about this. She wanted Danny home and for the nightmare to be over with.

Linda felt her heart catch in her throat as she watched the front door unlock. Danny carefully walked in, "Let's go outside. You wanted to talk, come outside and talk. Let my wife and children go." Danny walked into the house, "No one's out there. Let's go outside."

"Nice of you to join us, Detective." He looked over to his partner, "Pokhlopayte yego. Udostover'tes', chto u nego net oruzhiya." He told him to pat Danny down and check for his gun in fluent Russin.

The big muscular man patted Danny down even checking his ankle holster, "On chist." He replied. Danny was relieved he hadn't found the one hidden in the back pocket of his Kevlar vest.

"Good. You were smart. No weapons." The first man smiled, "Have a seat next to your lovely wife Detective. We're going to take a trip down memory lane." Danny let the bigger man drag him over to a chair next to Linda, "Svyazhite yemu ruki." The man said to his partner who zip tied Danny's hands together as ordered.

"You okay?" Danny asked his wife.

"They didn't hurt me." She replied. Linda didn't know what she expected when Danny came home. But she was stunned when he walked in with no weapon.

"What do you two want?" Danny asked wanting to get this over with as quickly as he could while protecting his family.

"I want to play a game. Russian Roulette. Are you familiar with it?" The man pulled out a small pistol. He slid one bullet in the chamber and spun it around letting it slam shut, "Does the name Mikhailov, ring any bells Detective?" The man asked.

"Should it?" Danny retorted.

"We're going to start with your wife." The man raised the gun, "I will ask again. Does the name Mikhailov mean anything to you?" 

"He's a member of the Russian mob." Danny said.

"Do you know where he is Detective?" The man cocked the gun he'd pointed at Linda's head.

"No. I don't. That wasn't my case. I passed it along. I had something else. I have no idea what happened to him." Danny tried to remember what the Detective that worked the Mikhailov case said about him.

"That's incorrect." The man pulled the trigger. Danny and LInda's hearts both stopped beating hearing the metal slam against an empty chamber.

"I don't know! It wasn't my case! I have no idea!" Danny said.

"Think harder." The man cocked the gun again and pressed the barrel to Linda's temple, "Think Detective. What happened to him?"

Danny ran through the case in his mind and every detail he knew, "He died! Someone killed him! A turf war!" Danny remembered Frank telling him about it.

"Do you know how he died Detective?" The man asked calmly.

"He-he was shot." Danny tried to think of the details, "It was an execution."

"And why do you think his death was never investigated?" The man asked.

"It was a hit. We haven't been able to find his killer yet." Danny explained.

"Wrong." The man shot the gun again making Danny and Linda jump in fear of him shooting her in the head.

"It was never investigated because it's the mob and no one wants to mess with the Russian's. You see your father didn't want to deal with it. He didn't want to get involved. My father's death was too much for your father to want to handle. I've heard his phrase. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Well, I'm here to say, you're now the number one enemy of the Russian mob. We've taken out your father. Like you've taken ours. Now it's time for us to take you, and the rest of the family down. Because unlike you Reagan men. We don't just get revenge. We get even. Now it's on you, Detective. Find my father's killer or find your family dying. Someone will be in touch with you shortly and I'll be out of jail before morning." The man walked away from them, "Poyekhali!" He shouted his partner. He walked out the front door as if nothing had happened.

The second the two men were outside they were surrounded by ESU, Detectives and numerous officers including Jamie, Beaz, and Eddie. While the two Russain's were arrested on multiple charges, Danny broke out of his zip ties and cut Linda out of hers, taking the handcuffs off her as quickly as possible, "Are you okay? You alright?" Danny frantically checked her over for wounds.

"I'm okay. Danny, I'm alright." Linda hugged him close, "They didn't touch me." She held him tight.

"Reagan everything okay?" Beaz walked over, "Anyone else here?" She asked.

"No. Just the kids." Linda shook her head.

"Jamie!" Danny hollered for his brother, "Walk through with me and don't wake the kids up." Danny kissed Linda's cheek, "We're just going to go check." 

Beaz stayed by Linda's side, "You sure you're alright?" She noticed Linda having a hard time catching her breath.

"Just a little panic attack. I'm okay." Linda tried to regulate her breathing. When Danny and Jamie were done sweeping the house, Danny sat beside his wife on their couch, "Danny, they had a car. A real cop car." Linda sighed. How could she be so stupid?

"They stole it." Danny said already having run the plate when he pulled up, "You did everything right. All that matters is you're okay and the kids are okay." Danny put his arm around her.

"What about what they said?" Linda asked.

"I'll take care of it. Right now, let's just be happy we're all okay." Danny kissed LInda's cheek.

"Danny the man practically said you're the next target." Linda started to worry.

"It's okay. I'm going to be just fine. I promise." Danny hugged her tight.

"We're bringing them in. Do you want to question them or toss them in a cell?" Jamie asked his older brother.

"Throw them in a cell for a few hours. When I'm done here I'll go chat with our new friends." Danny told him.

"You got it." Jamie and Eddie walked out taking the men to the precinct per Danny's instructions. Beaz disbanded the officers and ESU out and back to their respective duties.

Danny sat with Linda alone after Beaz caught a ride back to the 54th with a radio officer so Danny could take the sedan back, "You sure you're feeling okay?" Danny asked again.

"I'm okay. Just need sleep." Linda said softly.

"Alright. This is Officer Pitman and Officer Codwell. They are going to sit in front of the house until I come home." Danny introduced Linda to the two cops that were going to watch the house, "They will call me if anything happens." Danny told her.

"Okay." Linda nodded her head, "Thank you." She shook both of their hands knowing they were risking their life today to keep her and her children safe.

"Let's get you upstairs and I'll set the alarm before I leave." Danny said shutting the front door as the two officers made their way back to their patrol car. Upstairs Linda climbed into bed on Danny's side, "I'm sorry." He apologized, "But I want to nail this guy and I don't want him to slip through because of a technicality." Danny tucked his wife in, "I love you. I'll be home soon."

"I love you. You better come home to me." Linda sniffled afraid Danny would be hurt. Danny sat by Linda's side while she finally fell asleep with her head on his pillow and his hand on her back rubbing it up and down. He wished he could climb in bed next to her but he had to figure out the case before cuddling with his sleeping wife. At least now he had a starting point. He could search the Russian mob connections first and hope that lead him down the correct path to finding out who poisoned his father and threatened his family in his home.


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning, Danny was still trying to figure out how the Russians fit into this. He came across an old case of his fathers. Frank had arrested Mikhailov long before he ever made commissioner. The case didn't stick. Something happened to the evidence and then the witness. Frank hadn't been able to link Mikhailov to the crime without those two things so he'd walked. Danny realized where he'd seen Chaz before. He was an associate of the Mikhailov family that Danny had arrested multiple times for petty crimes under many different aliases. Armed with the case file Danny walked into the interrogation room where the Russian who threatened his family sat waiting for him.

"You want to tell me what you were thinking by breaking into my house tonight?" Danny asked.

"We needed your attention." The man said, "Now we have it. So you can get on the case and find out who killed my father and I'll wait for my lawyer."

Danny frowned, "If you think you can intimidate me by coming into my house..."

"It's not intimidation Detective. We can and will start picking off the Reagan family until we get what we want." The man threatened, "Now, I'd like to speak to my lawyer."

"He can't help you. You're going to jail. You held my wife hostage. You broke into my house. You're dong jail time. You even admitted you murdered two officers tonight." Danny said.

"Did I? I don't recall that and your wife invited me into your home. Where's my lawyer?" The man asked.

"Yeah. I'll get right on it." Danny said sarcastically. He sighed knowing he'd get nothing more out of the man. Danny walked out of the room and slammed the door shut.

"Lawyered up?" Beaz asked.

"Yeah. Did we get anything on this Mikhailov case? Or on Chaz?" Danny sat down at his desk annoyed that they were getting nowhere.

"Chaz was spotted out in Brooklyn having a few drinks at a bar but left before the last call. is can still there so he must have gotten  a cab." Beaz reported.

"Then the cabbie would have a record of him." Danny chugged his coffee, "Let's see what we can find."

"Danny, there's more." Beaz handed him a folder, "We have a problem."

"Just one?" Danny sighed. He took the folder from Beaz, "What is this?" He asked.

"That was just handed to me." She told him, "What do we do with this information?" 

"We check it to make sure they are right before arresting a fellow officer." Danny told his partner, "But if this is true, it makes sense how someone got so close to the commissioner, and to Linda and the kids." Danny didn't want to believe it. But when the name Janko popped in the system as known acquaintances of the Mikhailov family they had to look into it. When they found photos of Chaz and Eddie looking awfully cozy together they looked deeper into Eddie's family history.

"Some of those photos are from childhood for each of them." Beaz pointed out, "Danny, we need to talk to her."

"She's Jamie's partner. We don't want to say something if it's incorrect information." Danny said.

"It's from a pretty solid source." Beaz frowned, "Look, I know this isn't what you want to hear but I'm pretty sure that's all true."

"What about the person who shot Mikhailov?" Danny asked.

"I got the file from the Detective that worked the case but it looks like he just didn't care enough. There's maybe a page in the file and its nothing. We have to do the whole case again to figure it out. I do have the autopsy report though. The gunshot would isn't what killed him. It was poison. Ths same one that the commissioner was given." Beaz showed Danny.

"This is a pattern. Why would the Russians use the same poison against my father?" Danny wondered out loud.

"Maybe they thought Frank was behind it to start with?" Beaz thought.

"We need to find out who killed Mikhailov. Then maybe we'll get more answers on why my family is the next target." Danny flipped through the file hoping he'd get a good clue.

* * *

When Linda woke up she didn't expect Henry to be downstairs in her living room, yet there he was, sitting on the couch.

"Hey Pop." Linda smiled, "What are you doing here?" She asked as she walked down the stairs in her pajamas and robe.

"Someone holds you hostage and no one calls me until after the fact and hours later?" Henry asked, "Danny isn't home and I'm not waking babies up to bring them to my house. So when they get up we're all going to stay there until the case is closed." He told Linda.

Linda sighed, "I appreciate the thought. That's really sweet of you but Frank will be released and you two don't need me and the kids there. We'll be fine. I have the car out front plus two officers walking around the house at night. The security system and Danny." Linda said, "We're okay. They got in the house because I opened the door. Because they looked like cops, talked like cops, had a cop car." Linda sat next to Henry, "We'll be okay. Danny will make sure we're safe." She was confident in her husband's ability to keep her safe even if he wasn't home.

"I don't want anything happening to you or the kids." Henry patted Linda's hand. He'd come right over the second he heard.

"Nothing will happen. Danny is a good detective. He'll get the guy. He always does." She smiled, "C'mon. I'll make coffee and breakfast." She walked towards the kitchen. As much as she wanted to believe they were safe she wasn't so sure. The only thing she was sure of, was that her husband wouldn't rest until he put all the pieces together and arrested whoever hurt his family. She knew Danny would do anything he could to keep his family safe.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Danny and Beaz carefully walked up to the house they'd tracked Chaz to from the bar the last night. Danny had his hand on his gun knowing anything could happen.

"Police! Open up!" Danny banged on the door.

"Politsiya!" They heard someone shout from inside. Danny and Beaz drew their weapons as gunshots fired through the windows and front door. Danny leaped over the rail to take cover by the front steps as he fired back.

"Beaz!" Danny saw her fall backward as she was struck with a shotgun blast. Danny looked for a clear shot at the assailants but with all the debris there wasn't a good shot he could take. Danny whipped his radio out to call for backup, "Officer down! Shots fired at my location! Need backup!" Danny yelled into the radio, "Beaz!" He hadn't heard her respond since the first time he called for her. That was never a good sign. Danny ducked as the wood door splintered and glass shattered around him. He ran over to the front porch where Beaz lay bleeding, "You're going to be okay, Partner." He pulled her down to use the front steps as cover while he waited for backup to arrive. He breathed a sigh of relief when sirens and lights filled the quiet street.

"Reagan." Beaz mumbled as she bled from her leg and arm. She'd been hit twice with the shotgun.

"You're going to be fine. It's okay." Danny put pressure on her wounds. He breathed a sigh of relief when sirens and lights filled the quiet street.

"Detective!" A radio officer jumped out of his car firing towards the house.

"Beaz is hit!" Danny yelled shooting in the direction of the gunshots aimed towards them.

An ESU team carefully walked over to Danny to cover him while another retrieved Beaz, betting her to a waiting squad car, "Get her to the ER! Now!" Danny yelled at them.

The ESU team shot tear gas into the house trying to neutralize the situation. Once the gunfire slowed they were able to enter the house taking the three perps inside into custody without anyone else getting hurt. Danny walked around the house after it was secured to see what he could find. He handed the CSU team a jump drive to see what was on it. Danny had seen a lot of things in his many years on the job. But none quite so chilling as what was on the file. It was a list. The names of every member of the Reagan family, badge numbers, addresses of their home and work, cell phone numbers, even the schools the kids went to and the daycare for Faith, Sam, and Grace. It contained pictures of all the Reagans. As if someone was watching them at all times. Linda and the kids at the grocery store. Jamie at the gym. Erin walking into the courthouse. Frank and Henry in front of the Reagan family home. Danny walking to his car at night coming out of the precinct. Pictures of Nicky and Jack meeting up for lunch at NYU. Sean playing in the front yard with Grace. Even pictures of Faith and Sam being dropped off at daycare. Danny looked further into the files only to start finding case files of people he'd arrested. Perps Jamie had collared. Even old records from Frank and Henry. Files on people Erin had won cases against. There was even a file on any case that involved Linda. Wilder's file was there, alongside Pablo's. Danny shook his head.

"We need to find out who the Hell put all this together. How they got all this. Who else has this information? I need a team on every Reagan." Danny instructed the officers, "I need a team at NYU to get my son and niece. Alert Pitman and Codwell. They are sitting on my house." Danny said, "Get someone to ADA Reagan and alert the Commissioners detail unit." Danny pulled out his cell phone to call his wife. This was a call he didn't want to have to make but knew he didn't have much of a choice.

* * *

Linda was blissfully unaware of the danger her husband was in. How he'd narrowly escaped without injury. Faith and Sam were in their chairs at the table eating a snack while Linda colored a picture with Grace.

"For Daddy!" Grace smiled coloring the picture of a puppy in a wagon.

"Are you going to give it to him?" Linda asked.

"It pwesent!" The almost three-year-old grinned.

"That's a nice present. Daddy will love it." Linda kissed the top of her daughter's head before answering her phone, "We were just talking about you." She smiled.

"Is everything okay?" Danny asked quickly.

"Yeah. Fine. What's wrong?" Linda got up from the table not wanting to have this conversation in front of the kids, "Danny?"

"I'm sending more officers to keep an eye on you and the kids. We found some things and I need to make sure you are all safe. Jack and Nicky are getting a team on them too. Everyone is." Danny explained.

"Okay." Linda wasn't sure if she wanted to know what he found or not, "What about you?" 

"I'm okay. Beaz is in the hospital so I'm taking Jamie with me." Danny said not trusting anyone else to watch his back.

"Oh my God! Is she okay?" Linda worried for her husband's partner. After so long Maria was almost like family. She trusted Maria Beaz to make sure her husband came home each night. Danny put his life in her hands every day. Linda said a quick prayer for Maria's health.

"Hit in the leg and arm but she should be fine. I haven't been to see her yet and you're not going either. Not until we are sure everyone is safe." Danny said.

"Danny, what's going on?" Linda asked.

"I'm going to figure that out." Danny told her, "I love you."

"I love you." She replied, "Come home to me." She repeated a well-used phrase between the two of them over the years.

"Always." Danny smiled. He ended the phone call hoping he could figure out the mess he'd been thrown into.


	9. Chapter 9

"We have to bring her in!" Danny yelled at his kid brother.

"How are you so sure she's a mole? That she's involved with this?" Jamie asked. Danny had been talking about bringing Eddie in for questioning, but Danny hadn't told him about the pictures yet. He hadn't told Jamie that they'd found multiple pictures of Eddie with multiple members of the Mikhailov family. 

"Jamie, I know this sucks but I'm telling you, your partner is a rat! She's involved somehow!" Danny was angry that Jamie wasn't listening to him.

"She's my partner! Maybe her father was involved and she was trying to help him out or something?" Jamie shook his head unwilling to believe Eddie wasn't a standup cop.

"Look at this Jamie!" Danny threw down some photos including one of Eddie kissing Mikhailov's nephew on the cheek, "That's involved! We need to bring her in! So where is she?"

Jamie looked at the photos, "I don't get it. All she ever wanted was to be a cop. Why would she be involved with these people? Why would she try to hurt Dad?"

"It's more than Dad." Danny showed Jamie the photos of the family.

Jamie sunk in his seat more, "If she's not on the job or home she could be down the street at the cafe she likes to eat at." Jamie said, "I'll text her and see if she tells me where she is." Jamie sent Eddie a text as he usually did on their day off asking what she was doing for the day. He nodded his head when she texted back, "She's home." Jamie plugged her address into the GPS system in Danny's sedan.

"You gonna be okay, Kid?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. Let's just get this done and over with." Jamie needed answers. He still didn't fully believe what he saw before him but he needed to know why these pictures existed and what the connection was.

When they pulled up to Eddie's apartment building Danny took the lead letting Jamie sort out his personal feelings on the way up to her floor. Danny knocked on her door

Danny knocked on her door. He stayed out of eye sight so she'd only see Jamie in the hallway. Danny kept his hand on his gun when the door swung open.

"Extra tour today?" Eddie asked Jamie.

"Something like that." Jamie nodded his head, "I needed your help on something. Can you take a look at this?" Jamie held the file just out of her reach to lure her into the hallway where Danny could cuff her if needed.

"Sure." Eddie walked into the hall not suspecting anything was wrong.

"Eddie Janko. You're going to need to come with us." Danny took her arm.

"What?!" Eddie looked from Danny to Jamie, "What are you talking about?"

"We have some questions for you. You'll have to answer them at the precinct." Danny explained, "Where's your duty weapon?"

"Not on me." Eddie said, "Jamie what's going on?"

"Off-duty weapon?" Jamie asked.

"I didn't carry to the door. I assumed when it was you I didn't need a gun. Although now I'm wondering if I was wrong." Eddie frowned.

"Let's go." Danny cuffed her hands behind her back. He tugged her behind him as they made their way to the car with Jamie following behind wondering how she was mixed up in all this.

* * *

Janko sat at the table in the interrogation room waiting to be talked to. Danny and Jamie had asked twice if she wanted her IAB rep there and both times she declined. Jamie sat in the chair next to Danny's desk while they made Janko sweat for a bit.

"What do we do now?" Jamie asked.

"We wait to talk to her." Danny said, "We figure out all the information we can before going in there. Look, here's Janko with Mikhailov. And here's Janko with that guy Chaz that poisoned Dad's water. Jamie, she's all over this case."

"I'm actually inclined to agree with Danny on this one Jamie." Erin walked over, "The DA is ready to charge her with attempted murder. Even without a confession."

"I just can't believe it. You don't know her." Jamie knew what he saw was true. But knowing it in his heart versus his mind was two different things.

"Let's go talk to her and see what she says." Danny suggested.

Jamie nodded his head and followed Danny into the interrogation room, "Hey Eddie."

"You going to charge me with something or just annoy me?" Eddie asked.

"Planning on charging you with accessory to attempted murder of the PC." Danny said, "But let's start with how do you know this guy?" He showed her a picture of her and Chaz.

"We grew up together." Eddie said shocked that they found a picture.

"And how do you know the Mikhailov family?" Danny showed her another photo.

"I don't know every Russian in New York." She shook her head.

"Just the ones that belong to the Russian mob." Danny showed her three more photos of her with the same man that broke into his house, "Now this guy here. He's already told us all about how you fed them information on us. How you gave them everything to help them. He's told us about how you followed us. Including my children. The babies. And snapped pictures. And when we toss your place, which we have a team doing right now, they're going to find even more evidence against you." Danny said gruffly, "So tell us about the Mikhailov family. And who killed the father and how you are so cozy with them all."

Jamie watched Eddie's eyes flash in anger, "Only a coward kills a man on his knees." She said about the Mikhailov murder.

"So who killed him?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. Not me." Eddie sneered.

"You sure about that?" Danny wondered how she knew Mikhailov was shot on his knees. That detail was never in the original police report.

"I'm sure." She smiled.

"We traced your cell phone. For that night and the many nights after." Danny told her. He took the phone records out and pointed to the highlighted ones, "Those are times wen you and your so called friends were right next to each other. Yet on the night in question, you were at the same place at the same time. Yet you don't know who killed Mikhailov?" Danny asked not believing her.

"Jamie, don't you trust me?" Eddie changed tactics trying to pull at Jamie's heart.

"No." Jamie shook his head, "No I don't. Now when everything you say is a lie and it's a proven lie." Jamie sighed.

"Ublyudok." Eddie called Jamie in Russian, "I didn't kill him. I may have been near there but it wasn't me and I think I should talk to a lawyer."

"You'll need a damn good one." Danny got up from the table. He walked out of the room with Jamie behind him, "We'll let her wait a while. I'll get Internal Affairs up here for her. Talk to Erin, see how the DA wants to proceed."

"Danny Reagan following protocol?" Erin smiled, "I'm shocked." She teased.

"What are you still doing here?" Danny asked in surprise.

"I was told to come make sure everything goes by the book on this one. So I'm stuck here till you're done with her." Erin informed him.

"Danny following protocol isn't the only shocking thing tonight." Jamie sighed still upset about his partner, "How did I miss this?" He sat down with his hand over his face.

"She's good at hiding. Now we just have to figure out what happened to Mikhailov and why they poisoned Dad. But at least we know how they got into my house." Danny said still shaken by seeing Linda handcuffed and tied up in their own dining room, "I'm going to check in and make sure Linda and the kids are okay." Danny stepped away from his desk letting Erin take his seat to talk to Jamie.

"Hey, babe." Danny said when his wife answered the phone.

"You okay?" Linda asked. She'd just gotten done giving Grace and Faith a bath when he called.

"Just needed to hear your voice." He sighed, "Are you alright? The kids okay?"

"We're all fine. We miss you though." She smiled, "Grace drew you a picture and Faith keeps looking around the house for you."

"I'll be home soon. We're getting closer to figuring all this out." Danny said softly, "I talked to Beaz. She's going to be okay. Time off work and some PT for her leg but she's going to be like new in a few weeks." Danny relayed the information he'd gotten on his partner.

"That's good. I'm glad. When this is over we'll have to stop by. I'll make her some dinners so she won't have to cook for a while." Linda thought out loud, "Maybe some of those peanut butter cookies you said she liked so much at Christmas time."

"How come when I get shot you just get mad at me but when Beaz is shot you cook for her?" Danny teased his wife.

Linda laughed, "Because you also get the added benefit of me cuddling with you when you're home because you're injured." 

"That's true." Danny grinned. He looked over to where Jamie and Erin were talking. He saw IAB walk towards his desk, "I have to go. I love you."

"Love you more." Linda replied.

"Love you the most." Danny ended the call, then slipped the phone into his back pocket. He walked over to his desk hoping IAB would scare her into giving answers but not feeling particularly hopeful. Danny hated that Jamie was losing a partner. He didn't know what he'd do if it was Beaz in that box. Danny stood next to his sister and brother hoping the nightmare would end soon. Never suspecting what would happen next.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Danny watched as Janko was allowed to talk to her attorney privately. He picked up his desk phone when it started to ring, "Reagan." He answered, "Where did you find it?" He asked. Danny jotted down a few notes on a post-it, "Okay....Yeah...I got it...Thanks."

"What's that about?" Jamie asked.

"CSU just found three small vials containing the same poison that was given to Dad, in Janko's medicine cabinet. They are sending them into evidence." Danny said, "We've got her. She can't get out of this." Danny knocked on the door waiting for the lawyer to waive them in.

Danny took a seat across from Janko, "Do you know what we just found?" He asked. Danny didn't wait for her answer, "Poison. The same kind that was used on the commissioner. That your friend, Chaz, poisoned him with. So you have two options. One, you help us and you just might not do life in prison or two, you don't help us and we find every ticket you've fixed, every red light you've run, every tiny thing you've done wrong and stack every charge we can against you."

"Ne govori ni slova." The lawyer told his client to stay quiet, "That's not a good enough offer. Officer Janko is an upstanding member of the NYPD. We require protection. She cooperates and in return gets a new life."

"You think that the person that helped attempt to murder the police commissioner, helped two mob members break into my home and tie up my wife while our children slept, should get protection? She's lucky that I have enough restraint not to flip over this table at her. She's protected by the fact that I'd rather see her rot in prison for the rest of her life, that shoot her right here." Danny said. He had been hovering over the edge for days. It wouldn't take much to see his temper flare.

"I'm not going to help you." Eddie spat out. 

"So you'd rather go to jail for the rest of your life. Because not only do you have accessory to kidnapping, attempted murder, you even scored a murder charge." Danny grinned, "But you don't want to work with us. So I'll let you talk to your lawyer again."

"Murder?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah. See when you said Mikhailov was on his knees when he was killed I had to look back to the report." Danny explained, "It never said he was on his knees. So how could you have known that? The only way is if you were there. So we checked it out and a rental car showed up on a traffic camera running a red light. Now we don't have a clear image yet but I'd be willing to bet my pension that it's you behind the wheel of that car. That's how you got yourself a murder charge. But you said you don't want to work with us." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright! It was me. I did it. But I had no choice!" Eddie confessed, "I shot him! I killed him to protect my father!"

"Glupaya devchonka!" Her lawyer called her stupid, "Zatknis'! Ty umresh'!"

"YA vse ravno umru!" Eddie didn't care if she was going to die because she confessed, "My father needed someone to help him. I'm all he has left. So I killed Mikhailov. They were family to me. We all grew up together but when my father's life was in danger that was the only way I could keep him safe. So I did it."

"What about the poison? Why go after the PC?" Danny asked.

Eddie sighed, "After the men who were threatening my father found out what I did to Mikhailov they gave me poison. They said the only way my father would be spared is if the Reagan family met the same fate as the Mikhailov's. So I met with the Mikhailov's. Told them it was the Reagan family's fault their father died. And got one of them to help me with the poison. I didn't mean to get the mob to your house. Where the kids are. I didn't know they were going to do that. I thought they'd just scare you guys a little."

"You're playing both sides?" Danny asked.

"It's the only way." Eddie said.

"Ty umresh', prezhde chem popast' v tyur'mu. Ty i tvoy glupyy otets." The lawyer threatened to kill both Eddie and her father.

"Now, get me under protection. The Mikhailov's will kill me if they find out I killed their father." Eddie said.

"I never said you  _were_ getting protection. I said it was an option. One that isn't yours." Danny opened the door and let two uniformed officers in, "Take her to lock up." He held the door open.

"You can't do this! You can't do this to me! I'm a cop! You can't do this! No! They'll kill me!" Eddie struggled against the officers but was dragged to lockup with every other criminal. 

Danny walked over to Jamie who was talking quietly with Erin, "You okay, Kid?" He asked.

"Yeah. What did she say?" Jamie asked.

"She confessed to killing Mikhailov and to planning the poisoning. Now we just have to find Chaz and arrest him for actually doing it." Danny said, "But it looks like this was all orchestrated by Janko." 

"I can't believe I didn't see it." Jamie sighed.

"It's okay, Kid. It happens." Danny put his hand on Jamie's shoulder, "Let's see if we can find this guy and bring him in." Danny hoped that arresting Chaz would help Jamie feel a bit better about the situation. When they got to the address they had on file for Chaz, neither Jamie or Danny was prepared to find Chaz dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A note next to his body was addressed to Danny. ' **We're even.** was all it said on it. Danny knew the Russians had gotten to Chaz first. Somehow they must have heard about Janko's arrest and how she was involved with the Mikhailov murder. They seemed to have done Danny a favor by killing the person that tried to kill his father.


	11. Chapter 11

Linda walked into the Reagan family home with Sam in her arms. Danny hadn't been able to get Grace or Faith away from him all weekend. They'd both wanted Daddy beside them. Linda laughed saying they must have missed him being home over the last week just as much as she did. While Linda carried in the diaper bag and Sam, Danny carried Faith and held Grace's hand. Sean and Jack were already there. They'd left church together to hang out for a while until they had to be at their grandfather's for dinner.

"Hi, Sam!" Nicky squealed, "Wanna come see me?" She held her arms out always willing to cuddle one of the babies.

"Go see Nicky." She said to Sam, "I'm going to go help your mom in the kitchen." Linda smiled passing Sam to Nicky and dropping the diaper bag next to the couch where Jack and Sean were both sitting while on their phones. Danny followed behind Linda putting Faith in the playpen with a few toys.

"You stay here and play." He said to Grace.

"No! Daddy!" Grace held his hand tighter.

"I'll be right back. Play with Sean and Jack." Danny said knowing how much Grace loved her big brothers.

"No! Wan Daddy!" Grace pouted, "Pwease?"

Danny sighed seeing her big eyes looking up sadly at him. Danny picked her up, "Alright Ladybug. But you have to be careful in the kitchen so you don't get hurt." He carried her on his hip through the house.

Linda snickered, "Just wait until you're sixteen and want to take the car or credit card. Or both." She teased her husband for being a pushover.

"Are you spoiling her?" Erin asked catching the last part of the conversation between Danny and Linda.

"He's always spoiling her. And Sam and Faith." Linda smiled.

"I do not." Danny objected. He didn't think he spoiled the kids.

"Danny, you went to the drugstore to get my prescription and came home with a coloring book for Grace, a stuffed animal for Faith, a police car toy for Sam, and you picked up snacks for Sean and Jack because you said they were ten for ten dollars. So they each got ten snacks. All we needed was my medication and a gallon of milk." Linda laughed.

"If I recall I got you something too that trip." Danny kissed his wife's cheek.

"Medicine doesn't count." Linda walked over to where Erin was preparing a salad.

"Yeah. If you're getting fun things for the kids you should get fun things for your wife too." Erin smiled. She handed Linda some peppers to start chopping.

"I get you things all the time." Danny sat down with Grace in his lap.

Linda nodded her head, "Yeah. He does come home with flowers or brings me lunch at work or gets me coffee in the morning."

"See. You get spoiled too." Danny grinned.

"I'll bring this to the table. Dinner's ready. Just have to bring it out." Erin smiled.

Linda nodded her head, "I'll help." She followed Erin with the plate of chicken she'd cooked.

"C'mon Ladybug. Let's wash your hands." Danny helped Grace wash her hands before going to get the other kids. Nicky and Jack helped put Sam and Faith into their high chairs while Sean helped set the table.

The Reagan's all took their seats waiting for everyone to sit down before saying grace.

Frank cleared his throat, "I'd like to say something before we all start to eat. One of the greatest blessings God has ever given me was my children. My grandchildren. And you." He said to Linda, "God knew that it didn't matter  _how_ your children get to your family. As long as they get there. A family isn't always the people you share blood or genes with. Often times it's the people who love you, accept you, support you, respect you, who want you in their life, and who you can depend on." He smiled, "Charles Dickens once said, 'Family not only need to consist of merely those whom we share blood, but also for those whom we'd give blood.' And you've given me so much more than that. You've risked yourself for me. And that will never go unnoticed. Not at this table. Not in this house. Not in this family Not in _our_ family. Since the day Danny brought you home for your first Sunday dinner those many years ago, you've been family. And there is nothing that will change that. You may not have Reagan blood in your veins but you will always have a spot in every Reagan's heart." Frank raised his glass to toast to her. Everyone else at the table raised theirs as well.

Danny kissed his blushing wife, "Love you." He whispered.

Linda couldn't stop the blush creeping up to the tips of her ears, "Frank, that was very sweet of you. Thank you. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. " She smiled.

"I think taking one organ from my daughter-in-law is my limit." Frank smiled, "Now, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm starving." He grinned.

"Let's eat!" Henry passed a plate of vegetables to Jack starting a chain of everyone plating their food. Linda looked around the table. She felt Danny put his arm around the back of her chair while they ate. Linda shifted a bit closer to Danny placing half of her roll onto his plate only wanting a small bit with her meal. Linda thought to herself, when saying 'yes' to Danny, she'd said 'yes' to a family. She gained a family that would forever stand by her side, and love her without limits. Linda felt incredibly lucky to be a part of such an amazing family. She thought about how the upcoming court case would affect them. Jamie was already so upset over his partner being the one to cause such harm to his father. Danny still had a car patrolling their neighborhood until he was sure the threat of the Russian mob was gone. She just prayed that they'd be able to get through the court case without any problems. Linda didn't want to see the case be drawn out any longer than it needed to be. 


	12. Chapter 12

After a longer than usual night at Henry and Frank's house, Jack was on his way back to NYU. There were a few weeks left of class before he'd be back for the summer. Sean was in his room. Earlier that evening he'd asked to rent a movie he could stream but needed his father's credit card to do it. Linda and Danny changed the little kids into their pajamas before they left Frank and Henry's. When Sam fell asleep in the car on the way home Linda carefully carried him inside and tucked him into bed without waking him up. Faith and Grace, however, were wide awake when they got home. Danny was in charge of bedtime on Sunday nights when he was home. He was currently in the girls' bedroom reading to them hoping they'd fall asleep soon.

Linda stepped out of the shower and smiled overhearing Danny's voice over the baby monitor saying bedtime prayers with Grace while Faith babbled quietly along. She heard Danny speak first then Grace repeat him, "Bwess me Desus. Dis I pway. Keep me thafe. Bowf night an day. Gawd bwess Mommy an Daddy. An Dack, Thawn, Faifh, Tham an me. Uncle Damie, Nicky, Aun Ewin, Pop, an Gwanpa. An Bing Bong! An evewyone in da world. Amen!"

Linda snorted with laughter hearing her daughter want to bless Bing Bong. She'd discovered the movie ' _Inside Out'_ and fell in love with the characters. When Jack came home that weekend he surprised Grace with a stuffed Bing Bong that smelled like cotton candy. She hadn't let it go all weekend. Linda was still giggling as Grace said goodnight asking for just one more kiss and hug before going to sleep.

Linda stood in front of the mirror looking at the scar from the donation. It had healed nicely. You could see the two-inch scar but it wasn't as bad as some of the scars she had. Linda slipped on a long t-shirt and short pair of pajama shorts to sleep in for the night. Linda brushed her hair free of any tangles then walked into the bedroom. By the time Danny was in their room Linda was sitting in bed with the blanket over her.

"Are they sleeping?" She asked with a smile.

Danny shut their bedroom door, "Yeah. Hopefully, they all stay that way. I reminded Sean he needs to head to bed soon and set the house alarm." He walked over to the dresser, "I double-checked all the locks and I've checked with the radio car in the area. Everything is clear."

"Good." Linda smiled. She stared at Danny as he took off his shirt to change. She ogled her husband as he pulled a tank top over his head leaving just his boxers on for now.

"Linda!" Danny raised his voice to catch her attention.

Her head snapped up, "Huh?" She hadn't heard him call her the last two times, "What?" She said still daydreaming in the back of her mind.

"Really?" Danny chuckled, "I'm going to remind you of this next time you tell me to quit leering at you while you sit in bed and put lotion on your arms and legs."

Linda giggled, "It's been a _whole_ week." She tried to justify her staring, "Between everything going on and you working, I think I'm allowed to stare you now that you're home."

Danny tossed his clothes in the laundry hamper in the bathroom, "Babe, I'm just saying. For someone who picks on me for staring at her butt while she walks around the house, that was an awful lot of staring going on." He teased her. 

Linda looked over at him, "Are you complaining?" She teased back.

"Nope. Not at all." Danny climbed into bed beside her, "You can always stare at me." He kissed her sweetly, "Did I tell you how much I love you today?" He smiled.

Linda grinned, "Probably but I'll never tire of hearing you say it." She put her hands around his neck, "I was thinking that after this whole case is done, and Jack is home from school for the summer, that we should plan another family trip. Sean will be a senior next year and then he'll be off to college. Grace will be in real big girl pre-school next fall and not daycare pre-school in September. Just a trip for the kids and us to spend time together." Linda suggested.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. There won't be many more years with Jack and Sean that they are going to want to go away with us." Danny sighed missing when the boys were little, "I was going to suggest a weekend away for you and me." Danny grinned.

"You just want a dirty weekend in the city." Linda laughed.

"Well, I was just informed, it has been a  _whole_ week." He teased her with her own words from earlier.

Linda giggled, "Then maybe you should rectify that." She affectionately kissed her husband's lips.

"Oh, that I can do." Danny rolled so Linda was on top of him, "God Linda. I love you." He was about to slid his hands under her night shirt when they both heard crying over the monitor.

"DADDY!" Grace whined.

Linda dropped her forehead to Danny's chest, laughing hard, "She wants you. Good luck."

"Damnit." Danny sighed.

"If you go quickly she might go back to sleep. I'll wait here." She rolled off him back to her side of the bed.

"Where would you go?" Danny playfully asked when she said she'd wait in bed.

"Oh, shush." Linda giggled.

"DADDY!!" Grace yelled again.

"She's gonna wake Faith. Then you won't get back here for hours." Linda covered her mouth as she yawned.

"Don't fall asleep." Danny quickly kissed his wife, "No sleeping. I'll be right back." He slipped on a pair of pajama pants and quickly left to check on his daughter. After finding her missing Bing Bong that fell on the floor, another trip to the potty, a sip of water, two story books, singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider and more hugs and kisses Danny was finally able to return to his wife. He sighed seeing her with her eyes closed. Danny climbed back into their bed and pulled her close, letting her stay asleep. ' _This was the reason they needed a weekend away_ ' he thought to himself before closing his eyes to get some sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Linda rolled over in bed not expecting to hit her son's head. Linda opened one eye to see Sam in bed between her and Danny. Linda nudged Danny, "When did this happen?" She asked.

"Four-ish." Danny shifted, "He must have had a bad dream or something. I heard him whining. When I went in to put him back to bed he wouldn't let me go. Something scared him."

"So you 'cleared' the house with baby and gun and then brought him here to bed?" Linda teased.

"I put the baby down in bed with you first, then cleared the house with my gun, then I came back to bed." Danny grinned, "It's harder to shoot while holding a baby."

Linda giggled, "I don't remember you bringing him in here." She knew she was tired but didn't realize  _how_ tired she was.

"You were sound asleep still. I thought you were awake because we have a conversation about Sam being up, but you were talking in your sleep again." Danny had always teased Linda about how she could hold conversations in her sleep. When they first started living together it freaked him out. Now it was entertaining to see what he could get her to talk about. Granted half the things she said while asleep barely made any sense. He'd always tease her in the morning about the silly things she'd say in her sleep.

"You know you can't talk to me unless my eyes are open." She smiled, "Why don't you go back to sleep. Court is at nine. I'll make breakfast. Sean's got twenty minutes until he needs to get up for school and I'll get Faith, Sam, and Grace up and ready for daycare." Linda leaned over Sam to kiss her husband good morning. Sam had already started to move around waking up while his parents talked.

"Okay." Danny smiled gratefully for the extra sleep he'd get this morning.

Linda picked up Sam, "C'mon big boy. Let's go change your diaper and wake up your sisters."

"Mama. Dada." Sam smiled wide.

"Say nite nite to Daddy." Linda told him.

"Dada." Sam wiggled out of his Mommy's arms onto the bed.

"No no. You come with Mommy. We're going to go eat." Linda picked him back up. She kissed Danny one last time before quietly leaving the room.

Downstairs Linda had Sam in his high chair with some cut up strawberries. She looked over as Sean walked up the stairs, heading straight for the fridge without seeing his mother or baby brother. Sean grabbed two slices of cold leftover pizza. Putting both pieces on top of each other he took a bite. It wasn't until he turned around he saw his mother watching him with an amused grin.

"Morning." She said, "I was going to tell you I'm making pancakes for breakfast but I see you have your own breakfast going on." She smiled.

"I'll eat those too." Sean nodded his head, "Here, Sam. Eat like a man." He tore a few small bites of his pizza and put it on Sam's high chair tray, "Is there bacon too?" 

"Check the freezer." She told him as she flipped the pancakes.

"Yes!" Sean put the bacon on the counter top, "Thanks Mom!"

Linda shook her head watching Sam ate the pizza Sean had given him. She heard Grace call for her from the top of the

She heard Grace call for her from the top of the stairs, "MOMMY!! UP!" Grace yelled, "TUN UP! GACE UP!" 

"Sean, watch this for a minute. I'm going to go change the girls and bring them down." Linda said, "Coming Grace!"

"More?" Sean asked Sam when he'd eaten all the pizza, "Okay, Mom. Got it." Sean nodded his head.

Linda walked up the stairs carefully stepping through the baby gate, "Let's go get your sister up, and you can go potty." 

Once Grace had washed her hands, and Faith's diaper was changed, Linda carried Faith down the stairs. Grace carefully walked beside holding onto the railing, "Go sit in your seat." Linda told Grace as she put Faith in her highchair, "Sean, you need to go get dressed or you'll be late." Linda smiled at him.

"On it!" Sean went downstairs with the last slice of cold pizza in his hand.

Linda gave the smaller kids their food while making a plate for Danny, Sean and herself. Danny walked downstairs just as she was putting plates on the table.

"Morning." He made his rounds kissing the kids, then his wife, "Sam has pizza?" He asked her.

"That was from Sean. According to him, Sam needs to eat like a man." She laughed, "Sean's also the reason why there's bacon." 

"He's right about one thing, bacon is a man's food." Danny grinned. He looked up as Sean ran up the stairs,

He looked up as Sean ran up the stairs, "Thanks for breakfast Mom, but Amanda wants to meet up before school to study. We're going to stop at Starbucks and get something." Sean grabbed a few pieces of bacon off his plate and a pancake.

"If you're going to meet Amanda for breakfast why are you eating now?" Danny asked.

"I'm hungry." Sean shrugged his shoulders, "See you after school! Bye!" He said with his mouth full as he walked out the door.

Linda watched him leave, "He's not really going to study is he?"

Danny shook his head, "It's fine. As long as he's not studying like we studied." Danny smirked knowing how many study sessions turned into makeout sessions instead.

"I don't even want to think about it." Linda shook her head, "You don't think he's....I mean I'm not naive enough to think that Jack's not done anything. Especially being away at school but Sean's still in high school." Linda started to wonder just why he was so eager to meet up with Amanda, "They'd both tell you right?"

Danny grinned. He knew both boys really didn't want their _mother_ knowing much about their dating life, "Jack is responsible and Sean is still innocent." Danny nodded his head, "He really likes Amanda. But last time he said something about her, they were still just friends."

"You and I were just friends too." Linda reminded him. She picked at her breakfast thinking about how if Jack or Sean had a kid anytime soon, they'd have aunts and an uncle only a few years older than them.

"For five seconds and then I realized I'd marry you and did everything in my power to get you to go out with me." Danny smiled.

"Maybe you should have that talk with him again." Linda cut up Grace's pancake.

"Yes, because he just loves when we talk consent and condoms." Danny said sarcastically.

"Do you want to be a grandparent?" She teased her husband.

Danny smirked, "I will talk to him tonight."

Danny and Linda finished breakfast with the kids. Once Linda had dressed the kids she dropped them at daycare while Danny checked with Erin to make sure the case was still on for this morning. Linda hoped the trial would go quickly. She knew Jamie would be waiting to see what was going to happen. Jamie was understandably upset over the whole thing. Linda prayed silently as she drove back home from dropping kids off that everything would work out for the Reagan family.


	14. Chapter 14

Linda sat in court with her hand holding Danny's. They were sitting in the hall, waiting to be called into the courtroom. 

"I thought Jamie was going to be here?" Linda asked.

"He was supposed to be." Danny said, "I'm gonna give the kid ten more minutes before I call him." 

Linda squeezed Danny's hand, "I can't imagine how he must feel. She was his partner. I can't even imagine how you'd feel if it was Maria." 

"I don't know either." He shook his head.

"She's practically extended family. It would be heartbreaking. I can only imagine how Jamie must feel. He told me they thought about dating each other." Linda said to Danny.

"Never date your partner. That's just asking for trouble." Danny sighed.

"Would you date Maria?" Linda asked.

"What?" Danny didn't follow her train of thought.

"If you and I weren't together. Would you date her?" Linda wondered.

Danny kissed his wife's lips, "No." 

Linda smiled, "Why not?"

"Because I met the love of my life when we were just kids. There's no other option than you." Danny said sweetly.

"Hey!" Jamie ran down the hall, "They call the case yet!?" He asked somewhat out of breath from running.

Danny shook his head, "Any minute now." Danny stood as he saw Erin walking towards them, "Ready?"

"Let's go." Erin nodded her head. Henry and Frank walked up behind Erin with Frank's detail surrounding him.

"You should be resting." Linda told her father-in-law.

"I'll rest when she's behind bars." Frank hugged her tight.

The Reagan family followed Erin into the courtroom and took their seats. Linda sat between Frank and Danny, her hand never leaving her husbands. Frank sat watching Eddie be brought into the courtroom through narrow eyes. He never imagined one of his officers could be responsible for almost killing him.

Before opening arguments could even begin chaos broke out. From the far corner of the court room, a loud shot rang out. Screaming and gunshots filled the once quiet room.

Danny instinctively covered his wife and drew his weapon, "Get down!" He yelled at her pushing her to the ground.

Jamie whipped around towards the sound with his gun raised, "NYPD!"

Frank's detail unit surrounded the commissioner holding their guns up at any threat nearby, "Sir, are you hit?!" One of them asked Frank.

"POLICE!" Another one yelled.

Erin ducked for cover under the for cover under the prosecution table, "What the--!?"

Danny kept Linda safely behind him as he searched for the gunman as more shots were fired. He saw the flash of light coming through a window. The shots weren't coming from inside the courtroom. They were coming in from outside.

"We need to get out of here!" He yelled.

"Danny!" Linda flinched as the wood bench splintered near her head where a bullet narrowly missed her husband.

"Where's the gun?!" Jamie looked quickly to see where the shots were being fired from.

"Look! Up in the window!" One of Frank's officers said.

The Reagan family tried to move but were pinned down under gunfire, "Jamie! We need to get them out of here! Get to Erin! Get her out of here! I'll cover you." Danny told him. Danny waited until there was a break between bullets before standing and shooting back to cover Jamie as he ran to his sister.

"Erin! Are you alright?!" Jamie yelled as he ran to cover his sister.

"Jamie! What the Hell is going on?!" She covered her head.

"I don't know. We need to get you out of here. C'mon. We can get out this way." He said pointing to the jury room they could get out into the safety of the hall in.

"What about everyone else?" Erin asked.

"Danny and Dad have Pop and Linda. They'll be fine." Jamie said hoping he was right.

Danny crouched back down taking cover. He hated seeing his wife in danger, "Dad, we need to get you guys out of here." He said.

"Get Linda and Pop out of here first. Sid, you take them." Frank instructed, "We'll provide cover."

"You next. " Danny said.

"Don't be a hero." Frank warned Danny not to do anything stupid just to get his family safe.

"Family first." Danny reminded his father.

"Danny." Linda worried that Danny would get hurt making sure everyone else was safe.

"I'll be fine. Go." Danny took a few seconds to kiss her, "You _have_ to go." He told her.

"C'mon Linda. Danny will be out of here soon." Henry grabbed her arm pulling her towards him, "Let's go." 

Linda nodded her head, "Okay."

Danny, officers from Frank's detail unit, and Frank stood back up shooting towards where the gun shots were being fired from to cover Sid, Henry, and Linda as they ran for the door. Linda took one last look at her husband, eye's growing wide as she saw him knock back from getting hit. She wasn't sure how badly but she knew he was injured somehow.

"He's hurt!" Linda tried to push her way back into the room.

"He's okay. He's okay. Linda, you can't go in there." Henry held her, "Danny's a good cop. He's got back up. He's alright."

"We need to keep moving." Sid took Linda by the elbow, half-dragging her to safety.

Inside the courtroom, Danny felt the burn in his arm as the bullet grazed him, "Alright Dad. Your turn." Danny put another magazine in his weapon, "Go!" He yelled as he and one officer from Frank's detail unit stood up firing at the area of the gunman.

Frank was pulled out of the court room as ESU was on the scene securing the building and surrounding areas. 

Henry stood with Linda next to a police cruiser with Erin and Jamie on either side of them, "Why is it taking this long? He's hurt. Shouldn't he be out soon?" Linda paced back and forth.

"Linda, I haven't heard anything yet. If he's hurt it's not major or they'd have coded." Jamie responded, "Look, there's Dad!"

"Frank!" Linda yelled.

"I'm alright!" Frank joined his family, "Danny's right behind me."

"He was hit." Linda hugged her father-in-law.

"Bullet grazed his arm. He's fine. Maybe stitches but he's fine." Frank assured her.

Ten minutes went by. ESU ran into the building. Twenty more minutes. Linda paced back and forth not knowing what was happening inside. Every so often Frank or Henry would hug her, hold her hand or try and tell her everything was okay. Linda prayed they were right. When the time hit forty-five minutes and still no word Linda started to panic. Forty-five minutes since she saw her husband be hit with a bullet. She knew he had to get medical attention soon. Even if all it did was graze his arm, he'd need to stop the bleeding somehow.

Danny was only able to slip out when ESU broke through the door providing him with cover to safely retreat out. Through the mayhem, no one had noticed Janko and her lawyer were both hit. Both shot in the head and killed instantly.

The second Linda saw her husband walk out of the courthouse she ran towards him. She hadn't even noticed she was moving until she was practically in his arms. Danny grabbed her around the waist hoisting her up and close to him.

"Dammit, Danny!" Linda sighed, "Don't you dare do that again!" She yelled at him as she held him close.

"Okay. I won't. Are you okay?" He protectively held her in his embrace.

"You're the one that got shot." She took a deep breath pulling away from him looking for the wound.

"I'm alright. It nicked my arm. I'm okay." He promised.

"Detective! We should get a look at that!" Two EMTs yelled for him.

Danny kept his good arm around Linda as they walked to the ambulance. Linda frowned as she stitched up her stubborn husbands wound as he refused to go to the hospital for something Linda was perfectly capable of doing.

"You really should get this looked at." She grumbled as she carefully tied the thread together.

"I have a highly qualified nurse who I trust my life with looking at it. I'd say her opinion is better than some doctor I don't know." Danny smiled.

"Flirting will get you nowhere." Linda inspected her stitches to be sure they were secure, "There." She gently rubbed her thumb over the wound, "You're lucky."

"I know." Danny squeezed her hand. 

While Linda was patching up her husband in the ambulance Frank was being briefed on what was happening, "We got him!" Jamie said walking over with an ESU team, "Sort of. He shot himself. There's no one to arrest." Jamie said, "Russian mob. They must have put a hit on Eddie. We were caught in the crossfire."

"So they shot her. And then saw us." Frank nodded his head.

"Get two for the price of one." Henry stated, "That's what they did back in my day." He sighed, "Anyone else hurt?"

"Caught Danny in the arm and a few officers but nothing major." Jamie reported.

"No trial. No case. There's no one to put away for any of this." Erin sighed.

"We're alive." Henry put his hand on her shoulder, "That's something."

"I wanted to know why." Erin said.

Frank walked over to the ambulance, "You okay?" He asked Danny.

"Linda's fixing me up." Danny smiled.

"Is he okay?" Frank asked her.

"Aside from being stupid, yeah. He's fine." Linda was angry. Angry that he pushed her away from him. Angry that he stayed in that room. Angry that he got hurt. That he put himself at risk for everyone else. Linda was angry that this nightmare wouldn't end. That they still had to deal with the Russians even after Eddie was arrested for the crimes she committed. Linda was angry and she didn't know how to handle it. She prayed this would be the end. That with Eddie gone things would quiet down for the Reagan family.


	15. Chapter 15

That evening Linda had noticed two cars on the house at all times. Jamie and Danny had gone to figure out what the Russians were still after the Reagan's for while Frank was sent home with Henry to rest after Frank started having pain in his side. 

Linda had put the kids to bed. She'd tried to let go of her irritation with her husband. She was angry. And terrified. She knew his job was risky. But she felt like sometimes he'd take the extra risk just because he thought he could do it. Like a kid playing with fire. They were safe when they just lit the match. But when they stumbled and the match fell, they were burned. She didn't want to see him get hurt because he seemed to think he was Superman. Linda sat on their bed folding clothes when she heard him come home. Linda listened to the sounds of Danny checking on Sean downstairs before coming up the steps and checking on the other kids. He walked quietly into their bedroom expecting her to be asleep at this late hour.

"Hey." He walked over to her, "You're up late." He kissed her cheek.

Linda sighed, "Yeah well someone has to fold the laundry." She said coolly.

Danny looked at her trying to figure out how best to approach his wife, "Look, I know you're upset with me..." He started. 

"You are damn right I'm mad at you." She shook her head, "Upset." Linda huffed. She angrily threw the pairs of socks she'd matched up into the clean basket on the floor, "Do you have any idea how many superhero stunts you've pulled over the years?"

"Linda. I'm not trying..." Danny tried to interject.

"Yes. You are. And one of these days you're going to find out you're not as bulletproof as you seem to think you are. Although you've been shot, and been in a car bomb, and blown up, and shot again, and stabbed and a thousand other injuries. You'd think after all that you'd realize you're not invincible. Hell, even today showed that." Linda fumed, "I get it. I know the job. We've done this time and time again. I know it's dangerous but you don't have to make it even _more_ dangerous by playing the hero all the time." Linda walked to their dresser, starting to put clothes away.

"Linda." Danny walked up behind her, "Honey." He sighed softly. He wasn't dumb. He could read between the lines. She was angry. But it was fear that was driving the anger. He needed to start with the fear to make her feel better. Danny put his hands around her waist, kissing the top of her head, "I  _know_ I'm not bulletproof or invincible. I know that."

"Really? Because it didn't seem like it today. Today you were shot and you chose to stay in that room with bullets flying around you while you were bleeding and opening yourself up to possibly get injured even more. That's not proving you know you're not bulletproof. That's proving you think you're immortal and won't die from a bullet wound." Linda pulled out of his arms as she slammed the dresser drawers shut, "It's like you don't even think about it. Danny, you once walked into a bank robbery and I didn't know a damn thing until I saw it on live TV!" She slammed the top drawer catching her finger in the lip of the drawer, "Ow!" She curled her fingers yanking them back to her chest. She felt tears prick her eyes as her finger throbbed from being slammed in the drawer.

Danny put his hands over hers, "Stop. Linda. Stop a minute." He took a deep breath, "Let me see." He carefully peeled back her fingers one by one to see the one she hit, "Can you bend it?" He asked seeing it already starting to swell.

"Yeah. It's not broken. Or sprained. But I ripped my nail." Linda looked down at her bleeding finger.

"Let's go wash it and get a band-aid on it." Danny steered her towards the bathroom.

Linda leaned against the sink counter letting Danny tenderly take care of her, "This doesn't change that I'm mad at you."

"I know. But, be mad in a less self-destructive way. Okay?" He lightly joked with her hoping he'd make her smile. Danny put the band-aid on her finger, "There." He said softly. Danny kissed just over the bandage, "I hear kisses heal a lot of things."

"Can you just...not get hurt. Just  _one_ time take a moment and realize that while you wear that shield and that gun, that you also wear that ring." Linda sighed, "I know the job is dangerous. And I understand. I've always understood. And I am always proud of you. Always proud of how many lives you save and never once thought an ill thought about the job. I love that you give so much of yourself to the NYPD because I know how close it is in your heart, in your blood. But don't give  _all_ of yourself to it. Because we still need a part of you here. Okay?" Linda's anger slowly dissipated as she talked to her husband.

"I wasn't trying to be the hero today." Danny said, "Jamie had Erin. They were safe. Then I made sure that you and Pop were safe. Then Dad. I chose my family today. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I was putting family first. That will always be how I work things out. Family first. I'd rather sacrifice myself, knowing my family was safe, then run and leave everyone to fend for themselves. Family first. But even when you guys aren't there. I still put family first. I wear my vest even when I don't think I'll need it because I put family first. I call for backup and don't go into something hot-headed because I put family first. I don't do anything without thinking about how I'm going to come home. And sometimes things don't go as planned but I promise you. Every day I leave this house, I pray I come back through that door. I want to watch our children grow up and I want to grow old with you. I will do everything I can to make sure I come home to you." Danny slipped one hand around her waist as he cupped her cheek with the other. He kissed her slowly, "Still mad at me?" He asked.

Linda sighed, "No." She admitted. Linda hopped up on the counter to sit so it wouldn't press against her back. The angle change intensified the kiss. Danny held Linda not wanting to let her go for even a second, "I love you." She whispered against his lips.

Danny ran a hand down her back, "I love you." He lightly pressed kissed down her neck, "I was right you know." Danny's eyes twinkled as he smiled at his wife.

"About what?" Linda wrapped her legs around her husband keeping them as close as possible.

"Kisses heal a lot of things." He tenderly kissed her lips again before pulling back slightly.

Linda laughed softly, "Then I think you should kiss me some more."

"Anything for you." Danny lifted Linda off the counter and carried her to their bed where he'd spend the night cherishing her.


	16. Chapter 16

Thursday afternoon Linda found herself in the grocery store after work. As much as she rushed to pick up her babies from daycare when she got off, grocery shopping with no kids screaming and whining for snacks, Jack and Sean included, was always a pleasant experience. Linda was just about done loading the groceries into her car when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Mrs. Detective Reagan?" A tall muscular man with a thick Russian accent stood behind her.

Linda whipped around, "Who are you?" She gasped.

"Apology. I is not to scare you." He took a step away from her with his hands up, "I get this Detective Reagan. Our apologize for...what is word...confusion." He said in very broken English. He handed Linda a manilla envelope that was sealed with a wax stamp, "We wish no harm Detective Reagan or family." 

Linda looked at the envelope in her hands, "Who are you."

"Not important." He walked backward a few paces with his hands in the air before turning around and walking away, keeping his hands in Linda's view until he got into his vehicle and drove away without another word. Linda put the envelope in the front seat, thanked her luck that she hadn't bought anything perishable, and drove to Manhatten.

* * *

 

Three days of no clues on why the Russian's took shots at the Reagan family made Danny extremely grumpy. He wished there was some lead on this case but every time he thought they had something it turned into nothing. Beaz was back to work but only on desk duty for another month. Danny was glad to at least have his partner back even if it was only half the time. He was sitting at his desk going over the case file they had on Janko hoping it might lead them to someone who wanted to take out the Reagans when he looked up to see Linda walking towards him.

"You okay?" With one look he could see fear all over her face.

"Danny." Linda didn't realize she was shaking until he put his hand on her shoulder, "I-I-I think the Russain mob just came up to me at the grocery store."

"What?! What happened?! Are you okay?!" Danny guided her to sit in his chair while he stood.

"Yeah. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. He just handed this to me and said it was for you and he left." Linda handed the folder to Danny.

Danny took the folder from his wife, "What did he say? Did you get a good look at him?"

"He said he apologized for the confusion and they wish no harm on you or your family. He even apologized for scaring me when he tapped my shoulder." Linda said, "Kind of. He's tall, blonde military cut hair, blue eyes, tattoo on his neck of something. Words, maybe symbols?"

"Probably something in Russian. Think you can pick him out if you see his picture?" Beaz asked.

"Maybe? I'm not really sure." Linda looked up at Danny, "What is that?" She asked him pointing to the wax seal.

Danny's brow furrowed, "The symbol of the Russian mob." Danny carefully broke the seal and pulled out a short letter along with a few pictures. The second Linda glanced at them she wished she hadn't. Linda gasped and covered her eyes with one hand. Danny shifted to block her view the best he could while letting Beaz see what was inside. The letter read, 

 _'Detective Reagan. Our family is indebted to yours. You have done us a great favor. For the sake of tradition, the Mikhailov family swears to tie a bond with the Reagan family. No harm shall come to you or your family at the hands of our own. Viktor is a lesson for our family. Viktor took it upon himself to work with Nikolay, Monday morning. Nikolay's assignment was only for Janko. Monetary compensation swayed Nikolay into a secondary target. The Mikhailov family does not take kindly to rogue agents working with them._ _Any ill-will wished upon the Reagan family will not go without punishment. Detective, we know you may try to trace this package, however, your attempts will be unsuccessful. Please take this as a letter of apology and trust between our families. Good day, Detective.'_

The four included pictures were some of the most gruesome pictures Danny had ever seen. It showed exactly how much torture the Russian mob put Viktor through for attempting to take out the Reagan family. Danny nor Beaz could believe their eyes. The things they did to Viktor made every other case seem tame.

"We need to get this to the lab and see what they can pull from it." Beaz said, "I doubt they will find anything though."

"He just handed this to you?" Danny asked flipping the pictures over so Linda didn't have to look at them.

Linda nodded her head, "Yeah. He apologized for scaring me, asked me to get this to you and said it was their apology." Linda repeated her story.

"Where are the kids?" Danny had just realized the time.

"I haven't picked them up yet. I went to the store and then came straight here after he stopped me when I was loading the car." Linda said.

"Okay." Danny sighed, "I'm going to follow you home. Beaz you up for a ride?"

"I'm on desk duty. Remember?" She smiled.

"Good. You can sit in the car." Danny said.

Linda looked over to Beaz, "You're not going to win this with him." She said.

"I'm thinking it might be a losing battle." Beaz agreed.

Linda laughed, "That's why I'm not arguing about him following me home. Losing battle." Linda looked over at Danny, "See, she knows you so well. Maybe Jamie was right."

"Jamie was wrong. _Proven_ wrong." Danny put his gun on his belt as he gathered his things to leave.

"Jamie was wrong about what?" Beaz asked.

"Jamie commented that it was hard to work with a partner of the opposite sex and not want to date them at some point. So I asked Danny about it." Linda smiled.

"And I'm sure he talked for sixteen hours about his unyielding love for you." Beaz teased her partner.

Linda giggled, "Pretty much. So then I asked if we were never married or dating or met and he still said Jamie was wrong."

"Jamie's wrong. First of all, I thank God he's married to you. You're the only thing that keeps him sane and quite honestly I'd probably have kicked him to the curb if I had to deal with him all the time. Work is enough. Danny, you're a great partner and a great cop but damn, I couldn't do it." Beaz joked.

"Are you two done picking on me." Danny shook his head. He was glad Linda didn't get jealous easily. They'd been through their fair share of jealousy issues in the past already. Besides, anyone in the world could tell Danny only had eyes for his wife.

"Aww. Did we hurt your feelings?" Linda put her hand on his arm, "I hear kisses heal a lot of things." She teased. Danny leaned down to chastely kiss his wife, "Better?" She asked.

"Much." Danny replied, "Let's get the kids and get you home." Danny held his hand out for her to take as they walked out of the precinct together.


	17. Chapter 17

A little over a month later, Frank was doing a lot better. Still in some pain when he worked too hard or moved for too long. Garrett and Baker devised a system to make Frank take routine breaks so he wouldn't stand or walk for too long. Nicky was taking a summer semester and was only home on the weekends. Jamie's new partner, Scott, was working out well. The two got along like peas in a pod. Jack was home from NYU for the summer. Sean was preparing for his senior year and graduating. Grace was excited to start 'big school' like her big brothers. And the twins were growing bigger by the second. Sam still much calmer and content than Faith who alternated between wanting Daddy every second he was home and wanting Mommy just because she was Mommy.

Danny and Linda made plans to take the family to the beach for a week long trip with Jack and Sean taking Grace, Faith, and Sam back home for two days, with Aunt Erin over to help, so Linda and Danny could have two days of just the two of them. Granted one would be filled with driving back home but they'd at least get a full twenty-four hours together to have some time away.

The week at the beach would go by faster than Danny and Linda would have liked. When they arrived late Sunday night everyone was so tired from a long day, they all fell asleep without unpacking the car. Monday morning found the family spending the first day in the sand and water. Grace ran around in her mermaid bathing suit with the skirt bottom twirling all day long. Danny built sandcastles with Faith and Sam who then ran over the sandcastles with his toy monster trucks. Linda watched as Jack and Sean stayed on their phones most of the day talking to friends or posting on social media. It hurt her heart to know that this would most likely be the last family vacation they'd all take together. She looked at her small children playing with Danny in the sand. Grace was trying to write her name with a short stick but not knowing how to write her letters yet it was proving to be a much more difficult task than she'd thought originally. While Faith built a castle and Sam dumped sand in a mound for his truck to smash. Linda's heart tugged. She could swear Jack and Sean were that little just a day ago. They grew up so fast. In just one year both of her older boys would be away at college. She felt like a part of her heart was leaving. She was proud of the men they'd become. The men they'd yet to become. She wanted them to leave home and grow on their own. But it didn't make her heart ache any less.

Jack sat down next to his mother on the beach blanket, "Why are you crying?" He asked, "Do you want me to get Dad?"

Linda shook her head and wiped the lone tear from her eye, "No. I don't need Dad. I'm really happy." She said.

"Do girls do that?" He asked.

"Do what?" Linda wondered.

"Cry when they're happy. Because I hang out with this chick, sorry. I hang out with this _girl_ , Katie," Jack corrected himself, "And she cried at a commercial. Not like someone died, crying. But like you are now, crying." Jack explained.

"Girls are emotional. We cry because we are happy, excited, sad, scared. If she cries, hold her hand. Or give her a hug. But only if she's okay with that." Linda told him.

"Yeah. I know. Ask before you touch. I think I learned that when I was three." Jack teased his mom.

"We just like to make sure you boys know it." Linda hugged her son, "I'm glad you're here with us."

"I like the family vacation with you guys. I don't see the family as much as I did before NYU and now it's fun to come home. Besides. It's only a week vacation. And Dad said it makes you happy. And you just said you're happy. So if it will make you this happy, then I can do it for a week. It's cheesy but so is Sunday dinner." Jack shrugged his shoulders, "Sean and I wanted to go to this party tonight. It's at the cabanas on the boardwalk. Can we go? I'll be responsible for him but he's seventeen now. I was allowed to go alone when I was his age. So he can go _with_ me right?" Jack tried to help his brother do fun things that didn't include babysitting or someone who just figured out how to use the potty. 

"Make sure your father knows where you're at, who is there..." Linda started to say.

"Social security numbers, bank accounts, medical records, everything about everyone there." Jack laughed.

Linda snickered, "He's just trying to keep you boys safe. He's protective."

"It's okay. I figured that out when I was little and wasn't allowed to go to Timmy Tedeschi's house because his father had an unregistered handgun. I was five. I just wanted to play with a friend from school." Jack smiled.

"Mama!" Sam ran over to her.

"Hi, big boy! Are you having fun with Faith and Daddy?" Linda cuddled her baby close.

Sam giggled loudly, his tiny hands gripping his Mommy's neck, "Mama." He yawned.

"Oh. Is it naptime huh? How about we get your sisters and you all nap together. " Linda picked up Sam and walked over to the girls, "C'mon girls! Let's go inside and wash up. You can have a bubble bath and then a nice nap." Linda smiled.

"I think naptime is a great idea." Danny grinned.

"I can take the kids if you grab the cooler and stuff." Linda suggested. 

Danny kissed his wife sweetly, "Of course." He said to her. Linda carried Sam who refused to get put down while Faith and Grace walked beside her to the beach house they'd rented for the week. As Linda walked through the sand with her three little ones she knew this was how things would be in just a short year. Linda and Danny home with three little ones. Seeing their older boys on the weekend and during school breaks. As much as she hated feeling like she was losing them she couldn't wait for them to grow their own wings and fly. As long as they always knew they had a home to come to. Parents who loved them. A family that supported them. As long as they always felt like a part of something bigger than themselves. Linda prayed her children would never forget the cardinal rule of being a Reagan. Family first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on this one. I'll probably start another tomorrow or Monday. LOL. Let's be honest. I don't think I really skip days often. :) If you celebrate, have a wonderful Easter and if not have a great day! Thanks for all the reviews and comments! You are all so wonderful and amazing! <3 Thank you so much for every kind word! I have so much love for you all!! A thousand thank yous to all of you!!


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